


In Dreams

by SolarMorrigan



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Episode: s02e04 Sock Opera, Gen, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 17:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7516463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarMorrigan/pseuds/SolarMorrigan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Turns out, demonic possession is a little hard to just sleep off</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Filled [this](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/655081.html?thread=88086249#t88086249) prompt from Bite Sized Bits of Fic

It’s when Dipper actually falls down the short flight of stairs leading up to the stage and can’t get up that Mabel starts screaming for Stan. Dipper feels bad, somehow. He doesn’t want to scare anyone, least of all Mabel. He wants to get up and go home and commiserate over their mutual loss and celebrate another… win? Is this a win?  
  
Things are kind of foggy and Dipper isn’t really sure.  
  
He’s not really sure, even, why he keeps trying to get up, because his body hurts _everywhere_ and he’s so _exhausted_ and for once, not even Mabel shouting at him will keep his eyes open.  
  
Dipper wakes up in the hospital. Mabel is sitting by the bed and Stan is looming over it and Soos is sitting on the floor and Wendy is in a chair by the window and Dipper feels a surge of affection for them all that is completely muted by various points of pain popping out against the overall ache of his body. “Don’t you _ever_ do that again, kid.” Stan growls, and Dipper feels…  
  
God, he feels guilty. “I… sorry.” Dipper murmurs.  
  
Stan softens a bit. “Scared the bejeezus out of us, ya little nightmare.”  
  
Nightmare. Dipper shivers. That’s what this was: one, big, _living_ nightmare.  
  
Visiting hours end and Wendy and Soos both give Dipper a hug and bid him goodnight because the hospital is keeping him overnight for observation. Something about exhaustion and possible head trauma.  
  
Mabel watches him for a while, wide-eyed and worried and guilty (for some reason?), but eventually she lays her head down on the bed and goes to sleep. Stan nods off in the other chair, snoring like he does at home. Dipper stays awake until he absolutely can’t and wakes up screaming. He hadn’t dreamt of anything, but he’s still screaming, panicking, and then Mabel is screaming because Dipper is screaming and Mabel’s logic has never been quite linear anyway and then Stan starts shouting and then there are doctors and a needle and Dipper barely has time to register the terrified thought that they’d sedated him before he’s unconscious again.  
  
Dipper wakes more slowly the next time, but his heart still seizes with panic until he registers that yes, everything still hurts, he must still be in his own body.  
  
They release him in the morning with all sorts of strict instructions that Stan actually listens to, and Dipper knew Stan cared about them, but him actually showing it just feels like a part of this surreal horror show Dipper has yet to wake up from. Or go to sleep from. He’s not really sure which is applicable anymore. They go home and Stan opens up the gift shop like normal and makes Dipper stay in the den and makes Mabel stay and watch him and tells Dipper to _sleep_.  
  
Dipper has absolutely no plans to sleep and sneaks off and downs an entire glass of Mabel Juice before Mabel can stop him. It’s as horrendous as he remembers, but it gives him a definite jolt and Mabel threatens to tell Stan. Dipper snorts. “What’s he gonna do about it?”  
  
Mabel frowns. “Dipper, you need to sleep! You’re not gonna get better if you don’t!”  
  
“And what about Bill, huh?” Dipper demands, “The minute I let my guard down, Bill can get to me again- get to you again!”  
  
“But…” Mabel seems at a loss for a moment, “He can’t possess you through your dreams. I mean, if he could, he’d have come and done his freaky body-snatch thing any time! …Right?”  
  
Mabel does have a point. Dipper’s arm throbs and his head aches and his eyes still sting from the soda Bill poured in them and Dipper shudders. “I don’t… he’s still there, Mabel. Maybe he can’t take my body again, but he can get into my dreams all he wants.”  
  
“Well I’ll stay up and watch for him then.” Mabel insists.  
  
Dipper shoots her a look. “You can’t see him outside the mindscape, Mabel. You couldn’t see me, remember?”  
  
“Then at the first sign of a nightmare, I’ll wake you up. But you need to sleep, Dipper. You neeeeed to sleeeeep!”

Dipper pretends the offer isn’t very, very tempting. “How would you even know I was having a nightmare?”  
  
“Psh, easy. I’m an expert Dipper-watcher.” Mabel declares, “I’ll know.”  
  
“That’s kinda creepy, Mabel.” Dipper can’t help the short laugh that escapes him.  
  
Mabel nudges him in the shoulder, misses the way it makes him wince. “Not as creepy as you! Seriously, you’re all pale with these big ol’ dark circles under your eyes. You look like a definitely not hot vampire.” Mabel stills herself and grabs Dipper’s good hand, “Look, I _promise_ , if anything seems wrong, I’ll wake you right up. Kay?”  
  
Dipper’s eyes are burning from more than just soda now and he supposes he doesn’t have much of a choice. And if there’s anyone he can trust to keep watch for him, well… “Okay. I guess.” Dipper yawns and settles back in the chair a bit and even if his mind is still on high alert, his body is well beyond done and he barely manages to slur out a “Thanks, Mabel,” before he’s either asleep or passed out.  
  
Mabel pats his hand and settles down to wait. This isn’t the end of it, she knows, but they have to start somewhere.


End file.
